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The nominations for Emmys 2023 were announced on Wednesday. HBO's Succession dominated the nominations with 27 nods, including best drama, lead actress, and three lead actor nominations. Other shows like The Last of Us and The White Lotus also received significant recognition. The Emmy nominations never fail to bring excitement and anticipation as television's finest are recognised for their outstanding contributions.

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However, with each year comes both disappointment and surprises (the happy kind), leaving fans and industry insiders buzzing. The 2023 Emmy nominations were no exception, with notable shows and performances either overlooked or unexpectedly recognised. From shocking omissions to unexpected breakthroughs, the list of snubs and surprises highlights the ever-unpredictable nature of the awards season. 

Also Read: Emmys 2023: HBO's Succession and The Last of Us score most noms

Let's dive into the intriguing twists and turns that unfolded during this year's Emmy nominations.

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Surprise: Succession's domination

While it was to be expected, Succession's fourth and final season's utter domination of the nomination announcing still came as a surprise. Mainly because it was, well, so... utter.

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The show has been nominated 27 times. Which is a lot. The final season of the show was the swan song for the acclaimed HBO show. It revolved around the Roy family, a clan of powerful media moguls based in the Big Apple, led by the Rupert Murdoch-like Logan Roy (portrayed by the legendary Scottish actor Brian Cox). At the beginning of the show, he's the mastermind behind the global media giant known as Waystar Royco and is getting ready to pass on the reins to his children. But just when you think you've got it all figured out, Logan has a change of heart and decides to stick around. And he seems to be thriving on power, improving health-wise. Cue the power struggle.

Also Read: Succession's brilliant finale was not 'feel-bad'. It was a reality check

The final season of the show delivered on all fronts. It was packed with shocks, great moments of comedy, heartbreak, drama, and more, big reveals, and lots and lots of excellent writing with dialogue that ranged from the puerile to the Shakespearean. 

Also Read: Succession finale review: A dark, fitting, and unforgettable conclusion to an uncompromising show

Surprise: The Last of Us

Again, a great, acclaimed show which was sure to be an Emmy darling. But 24 nominations, even to a fan like me, are a bit much. The show, based on the iconic video game of the same name, brought something fresh to the done-to-death zombie apocalypse story. Joel (Pedro Pascal) is running from the ensuing chaos with his daughter Sarah (Nico Parker) and friend Tommy (Gabriel Luna). Joel and Sarah are confronted by a soldier who opens fire after his superior asks him to shoot them over the mere possibility of the two being infected. As she dies in his arms, a tearful Joel is forced to abandon her to escape the army. 20 years later, the world has irrevocably changed. The surviving humans, at least in the US, have divided themselves into highly-militarised quarantine zones that are hostile to each other. 

Joel comes to care for a young girl who is immune to the fungus called Cordyceps and the bite of the infected flesh-eating cannibals.

Snub: Better Call Saul

For my money, this show should be the one that should have swept the nominations. But sadly, it was not to be. The show got five nods, but it probably deserved 25 more, particularly considering that it is now a prevailing sentiment that in the end, it turned out to be even better than its parent series, Breaking Bad (which, it need not be mentioned, was a favourite among Emmy voters). A spinoff prequel and occasionally, and ultimately, a sequel, Better Call Saul did to Bob Odenkirk's slimy, fast-talking lawyer what Breaking Bad had done to Bryan Cranston's high school chemistry teacher-turned-drug-kingpin: tell a painstakingly plotted, dramatic and compelling story of a character losing his moral compass. The two shows had common writers, much of the crew, and many cast members, and there were a few thematic similarities, but were fairly distinct.

Also Read: Better Call Saul Season 6 Episode 13 review: Jimmy McGill's tale ends with a quietly devastating finale

Snub: Sarah Goldberg (Barry)

Bill Hader, Anthony Carrigan, and Henry Winkler were all rightly nominated for their performance in HBO's Barry (the first in the lead actor drama category, and the last two in supporting category), but why was Sarah Goldberg overlooked? Not to be unkind or anything, but Emmy voters were probably out of their mind if they thought Goldberg's consistently fantasy work was not even worth a nomination.

The 75th Emmy Awards will be streaming on Lionsgate Play in India, Malaysia, and Philippines on September 19.

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